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After a couple weeks of bad news and worse news for vaping, along comes exciting good news from the least likely place imaginable: the University of California.

A new study from the University of California-San Diego says that vaping helps smokers try to quit, and of those who try, more smokers who use e-cigarettes succeed. The study appeared in the British Medical Journal.

The research team used data collected by the U.S. Census CPS-TUS, a survey of adults to collect information about changes in tobacco product use. According to lead author Shu-Hong Zhu, a UC-San Diego professor of Family Medicine and Public Health, the CPS-TUS data is based on the largest sample of smokers and vapers available.

“These data suggest that e-cigarettes play the role of a cessation tool.”

The researchers looked at the connections between e-cigarette use and smoking cessation. They found that 65 percent of smokers who vaped during the previous year had tried to quit smoking, while just 40 percent of the non-vaping smokers tried.

Even more exciting, 8.2 percent of the smokers who vaped were able to quit smoking, while just 4.8 percent of those who didn’t vape were successful at quitting. “The cessation rate among those who did not use e-cigarettes remained the same compared to previous years,” said Zhu. “These data suggest that e-cigarettes play the role of a cessation tool.”

“Our analysis of the population survey data indicated that smokers who also used e-cigarettes were more likely to attempt to quit smoking, and more likely to succeed,” said Zhu. “Use of e-cigarettes was associated both with a higher quit rate for individuals as well as at the population level; driving an increase in the overall number of people quitting.”

Great news, but will it stick?

The findings of this careful study are in direct conflict with Prof. Stanton Glantz’s famously sloppy 2016 meta-review, which in the words of scientists at the Truth Initiative, “simply lumps together the errors of inference” from the individual studies that were combined in the review. (If you’re not familiar with the Glantz paper, I suggest starting with Clive Bates’ brutal takedown.)

An accompanying editorial in the BMJ — titled “New evidence supports a liberal approach to e-cigarette regulation” — by Chris Bullen, a public health professor at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, emphasized the good news for public health.

“The research by Zhu and colleagues suggests that where such permissive approaches to e-cigarettes exist—ones that enable smokers to have ready access to products that deliver nicotine effectively, at a price lower than that of tobacco cigarettes—then substantial numbers of smokers will make the transition away from smoking, and a substantial population benefit can result,” writes Bullen. “In light of this evidence, policy makers in countries contemplating a more restrictive approach to the regulation of e-cigarettes should pause to consider if pursuing such a course of action is the right thing to do for population health.”

The question now is whether this study will get the publicity it deserves in the United States. The influence on the news media of nine years of relentless vaping negativity and outright attacks from American public health officials and tobacco control ideologues has prevented other academic efforts from breaking through to the general public.

By Wednesday evening, the story was already being reported widely, including by the Associated Press and Reuters, whose stories will be picked up by many newspapers. Will this good news tip the scales back toward something resembling fair discourse? Or will it be quickly forgotten? Cross your fingers.

The post New California study proves vaping helps smokers quit appeared first on Vaping360.

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We’ve all dealt with expiration dates. I can remember times from my childhood, when my mother would throw together giant “catch all” dinners, to ensure we cleaned the fridge of meats, eggs and milk before those faintly printed dates lapsed, staving off unspeakable food poisoning.

(Yes, my mother had a flair for the dramatic.)

Since those days, consumables industries have only become more cautious, adding “born by” and “best by” dates to any item that may suffer over time. This includes the ever-growing e-liquid market, which is trying to stay in the good graces of both consumers and federal agencies.

Is it all necessary? Well, that’s hard to say. But we have a few insights.

An official word on expiration dates

For a basis of discussion, here’s what the FDA has to say about expiration, best-by and use-by dates on consumable food products:

With the exception of infant formula, the laws that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) administers do not preclude the sale of food that is past the expiration date indicated on the label. FDA does not require food firms to place “expired by”, “use by” or “best before” dates on food products. This information is entirely at the discretion of the manufacturer.

A principle of U.S. food law is that foods in U.S. commerce must be wholesome and fit for consumption. A “best by,” “use by” or expiration date does not relieve a firm from this obligation. A product that is dangerous to consumers would be subject to potential action by FDA to remove it from commerce regardless of any date printed on a label.

– The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

In everyday practice, this makes a lot of sense. If milk looks and smells good, but is two days past the printed expiration, you’d probably drink it, right? But if that block of brie is smelling a little gamy, even with another week to go before the deadline hits, common sense dictates you throw it out.

These dates are largely guidelines – and helpful ones, at that. But it’s entirely possible many of us lend a little too much credence to them, forsaking good judgment. The FDA Center for Tobacco Products, which assumed regulatory control of e-cigarettes and vaping products with its deeming regulations, has no requirements for expiration dates on e-liquid labels — yet anyway.

How long does e-liquid actually last?

The short, but honest answer is that we really don’t know. A correctly stored bottle of e-liquid should be perfectly fine for up to two years – an estimate based on what we know about propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, and nicotine oxidation.

In layman’s terms? If you buy well-made e-liquid, and store it in glass bottles in a cool, dark place, there’s a very good chance your juice will outlast bottles sitting on an open windowsill, and will meet or exceed any expiration dates printed on the packaging.

There are many variables to consider when judging e-liquid longevity.

Expiration dates are arbitrary, and are more accurately described as freshness gauges, rather than concrete indicators of spoilage. They don’t really apply to something as shelf-stable as e-liquid.

But there are always exceptions. An all-natural e-liquid, made with just a few ingredients, might not keep as well as varieties made with solely artificial flavorings, but tastes amazing from first drop to last. Yet, a bargain-basement, chemical-heavy brand might be able to outlast every juice on your shelf, regardless of environment, but could have harsh notes and odd flavorings.

Which of these would you rather vape?

Let’s get more specific…

There are many variables to consider when judging e-liquid longevity. The quality of PG, VG, nicotine and flavorings; the ratios they’re mixed at; and the conditions under which the e-liquid was handled could all affect how long your juice lasts.

Though the commonly accepted shelf life of e-liquid ingredients is around two years, quality is paramount. If you get cheap juice, it’s likely cheap for a reason, meaning your PG and VG may begin degrading before that two-year mark.

In turn, improperly handled nicotine may oxidize more quickly. If you repeatedly leave e-liquid exposed to sunlight, humid rooms, or rapid temperature changes, the nic becomes darker, with more harsh, “peppery” notes in each hit. Oxidation doesn’t seem to affect potency though.

If the e-liquid looks and smells fine, then you likely have nothing to worry about.

Finally, flavorings vary in both quality and formulation. Natural ingredients like vanilla or other food-based extracts may lack the preservatives of more chemical-based juices, reducing shelf life, as well.

You may also notice that some natural flavorings begin to separate from other ingredients if left unused, leading to sediment in your bottles. If shaking the juice does not properly redistribute the ingredients, throw out the juice, as it will likely be unpleasant to vape, even if still safe.

So, is vaping “expired” e-liquid dangerous?

Again, an e-liquid’s lasting power really comes down to what’s in the bottle, not what’s printed on it. The best juices in the world might not last past a year on the shelf … but if they’re that good, you’ll probably finish the bottle long before its age becomes a factor.

Before you panic about the older entries in your collection, and start tossing gallons of supposedly “expired” e-liquid in the trash, stop and think about what we said about milk. Now apply that thinking to your juice:

How does the e-liquid smell?

How does the e-liquid look?

Is the e-liquid clear and free of solids?

If the e-liquid looks and smells fine, then you likely have nothing to worry about. Minor color changes are likely due to nic oxidation, which isn’t a health concern. Not sure? Toss it and try to balance your consumption with the rest of your collection. It’s a small price to pay for peace-of-mind.

What do YOU prefer?

Our best advice is to judge your e-liquids yourself. If you have even a concern about something you take into your body, don’t use it. Throw it out – if the bottle is that old, chances are you won’t miss it, anyway.

One more thing – if you take a chance on some older e-liquid, you may also discover flavors and vape quality you never got when the bottle was fresh. In fact, lots of vapers actually prefers their juice to be well-aged, allowing flavors to steep and meld, while getting a little extra kick from naturally oxidized nicotine.

But that’s a personal choice, and – as we say often around here – your preferences may vary. As long as your liquid doesn’t have any off-putting qualities in the bottle, it should be perfectly fine to vape, regardless of what the supposed expiration date might dictate.

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